Irrigation pipe harness

ABSTRACT

A harness for assisting an operator in lifting and moving an irrigation pipe comprising a hook and a plurality of straps for securing the harness to the operator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention relates to irrigation, and more particularly relates to methods of optimally moving irrigation piping from one position to another.

Description of the Related Art

Irrigation piping is used across rural America, and worldwide, to irrigate crops used to feed seven billion people currently living on the Earth. Some irrigation piping is fixed in place while other piping is buried or laid on a subgrade before being covered.

Various embodiments of irrigation piping are designed to move or be moved manually such that sprinklers or flood irrigation controls are repositioned to more optimally water crops. For many reasons, farmers often find themselves having to move irrigation piping manually. These reasons include small farmers who lack the capital to purchase larger, more expensive irrigation piping with automatic repositioning functionality. Farmers needing to reposition piping manually often must lift and move by hand as many as 500 pipes per day. These pipes may be filled, or partially filled, with water, sometimes weighing more than 100 pounds.

The need of farmers to manually move this piping creates inefficiencies in agriculture, including everything ranging from back problems on the part of farmers inhibiting production to early retirement of farmers and abandonment of crop enterprises.

The purpose of the invention taught below to help cure these inefficiencies by providing a harness to farmers need to lift and move piping which reduces strain on farmers back and extremities and improves efficiency. There is a need in the art for such a harness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for an irrigation pipe harness. Beneficially, such an apparatus would overcome many of the difficulties and safety concerns expressed, by providing means of lifting irrigation piping with less effort than existing mechanisms in the art.

The present invention has been developed in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available apparati and methods. Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide an irrigation pipe harness comprising: a U-shaped hook comprising a superiorly-rising tongue, the tongue having a planar rearward surface, the U-shaped hook defining a concave cradle adapted to secure an irrigation pipe; a waist strap affixed to the tongue adapted to circumscribe a waist of a wearer, the waist strap comprising a plurality of fasteners; and a shoulder strap affixed to the tongue adapted to circumscribe a shoulder of a wearer, the shoulder strap comprising a plurality of fasteners.

The tongue may define a plurality of apertures adapted to receive a waist strap. The hook section may be formed from polymeric materials in some embodiments.

The hook section may be formed from a metal alloy.

The irrigation pipe harness further comprises: a first ring connecting the tongue to a middle strap without intervening components; and a second ring connecting the middle strap to the shoulder strap without intervening components.

A second irrigation pipe harness is provided comprising: a U-shaped hook comprising a superiorly-rising tongue, the tongue having a planar rearward surface, the U-shaped hook defining a concave cradle adapted to secure an irrigation pipe; a waist strap affixed to the tongue adapted to circumscribe a waist of a wearer, the waist strap comprising a plurality of fasteners; a shoulder strap affixed to the tongue adapted to circumscribe a shoulder of a wearer, the shoulder strap comprising a plurality of fasteners; a first ring connecting the hook to a middle strap without intervening components; a second ring connecting the middle strap to a shoulder strap without intervening components; wherein the hook is adapted to secure an irrigation pipe against the waist of a wearer.

A third irrigation pipe harness is also provided comprising: a U-shaped hook defining a concave cradle adapted to secure an irrigation pipe; a waist strap affixed to the U-shaped hook adapted to circumscribe a waist of a wearer, the waist strap comprising a plurality of fasteners; and a shoulder strap affixed to the U-shaped hook adapted to circumscribe a shoulder of a wearer, the shoulder strap comprising a plurality of fasteners.

The U-shaped hook may define a plurality of apertures adapted to receive a waist strap. The U-shaped hook section may be formed from polymeric materials.

The U-shaped hook section may additionally or alternatively be formed from a metal alloy.

These features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational frontal-side perspective view of an irrigation pipe harness in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an environmental side perspective view of an irrigation pipe harness in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

FIGS. 1-2 illustrate an elevation frontal-side perspective view of an irrigation pipe harness 100 in accordance with the present invention.

The harness 100 comprises a U-shaped hook 102 for securing an irrigation pipe 202. This U-shaped hook 102 may be fabricated from metal, metal alloy, or polymeric materials. In some embodiments, the hook 102 is pressed into form from a polymeric sheet or planar member.

The hook 102 defines a concave, upwardly-facing recess adapted to receive and secure an irrigation pipe 202. This recess is defined as the “cradle” 132.

The hook 102 may comprise an elongated tongue 122 which rests against a wearer's 204 body. The tongue 122 may comprise two slits 106, or apertures 106, through which the strap 104 is threaded. Alternatively, the strap 104 (i.e., waist strap) may be fasted to a rearward planar surface of the tongue 122. The waist strap 104 is adapted to circumscribe the waist of a wearer 204. The harness 100 comprises a plurality of apertures 106 for threading a waist strap 104 which circumscribes the torso of a wearer 204.

The strap 104 comprises fasteners 116 known to those of skill in the art. The fasteners 116 may be affixed alternatively to distal and proximal ends of the strap 104.

A middle strap 108 positions between two rings, or D-rings 124, interconnecting the strap 108 or 110 and the hook 102. The strap 108, 110 may be adjustable in length and connect using a fastener known to those of skill in the art.

A shoulder strap 110 may connect to a D-ring 124 or alternatively to the tongue 122 or to another part of the hook 102. The shoulder strap 110 may be adjustable in length using means known to those of skill in the art.

A shoulder pad 112 may positions on the strap 110. The shoulder strap 110 is adapted to circumscribe the shoulder of a wearer 204 as shown and affix back in place to a fastener 128, forming a continuous circle when connected.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 100, 200 comprises a plurality of shoulder straps 110.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An irrigation pipe harness comprising: a U-shaped hook comprising a superiorly-rising tongue, the tongue having a planar rearward surface, the U-shaped hook defining a concave cradle adapted to secure an irrigation pipe; a waist strap affixed to the tongue adapted to circumscribe a waist of a wearer, the waist strap comprising a plurality of fasteners; and a shoulder strap affixed to the tongue adapted to circumscribe a shoulder of a wearer, the shoulder strap comprising a plurality of fasteners.
 2. The irrigation pipe harness of claim 1, wherein the tongue defines a plurality of apertures adapted to receive a waist strap.
 3. The irrigation pipe harness of claim 1, wherein the hook section is formed from polymeric materials.
 4. The irrigation pipe harness of claim 1, wherein the hook section is formed from a metal alloy.
 5. The irrigation pipe harness of claim 1, further comprising: a first ring connecting the tongue to a middle strap without intervening components; and a second ring connecting the middle strap to the shoulder strap without intervening components.
 6. An irrigation pipe harness comprising: a U-shaped hook comprising a superiorly-rising tongue, the tongue having a planar rearward surface, the U-shaped hook defining a concave cradle adapted to secure an irrigation pipe; a waist strap affixed to the tongue adapted to circumscribe a waist of a wearer, the waist strap comprising a plurality of fasteners; a shoulder strap affixed to the tongue adapted to circumscribe a shoulder of a wearer, the shoulder strap comprising a plurality of fasteners; a first ring connecting the hook to a middle strap without intervening components; a second ring connecting the middle strap to a shoulder strap without intervening components; wherein the hook is adapted to secure an irrigation pipe against the waist of a wearer.
 7. An irrigation pipe harness comprising: a U-shaped hook defining a concave cradle adapted to secure an irrigation pipe; a waist strap affixed to the U-shaped hook adapted to circumscribe a waist of a wearer, the waist strap comprising a plurality of fasteners; and a shoulder strap affixed to the U-shaped hook adapted to circumscribe a shoulder of a wearer, the shoulder strap comprising a plurality of fasteners.
 8. The irrigation pipe harness of claim 1, wherein the U-shaped hook defines a plurality of apertures adapted to receive a waist strap.
 9. The irrigation pipe harness of claim 1, wherein the U-shaped hook section is formed from polymeric materials.
 10. The irrigation pipe harness of claim 1, wherein the U-shaped hook section is formed from a metal alloy. 